


The Dream Chronicles

by Trin303



Category: The Matrix (Movies)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Dreams vs. Reality, F/M, Neo is the One, ridiculously requited love, semi-prophetic dreams
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:15:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29793855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trin303/pseuds/Trin303
Summary: Thomas Anderson has spent the better part of his life dreaming of a city of stone, a ship of steel, and a blue-eyed woman who he loved beyond measure. When Trinity comes to take him from the Matrix, Neo isn't quite sure what to make of the real world or his memories that never happened. No one said being the savior of the human race was going to be easy.
Relationships: Thomas Anderson | Neo/Trinity
Comments: 18
Kudos: 16





	1. You ever have that feeling you're not sure if you're awake or still dreaming?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was beta'd by Doranwen who has been kind enough to help teach me some of the rules surrounding dialogue and punctuation! Thank you so much!

Neo stood alone in the club, wondering what the hell he was doing.

 _Come on,_ Choi had said, _it will be fun._

But Choi and his girlfriend had disappeared within minutes of getting to the club. One minute, they were all at the bar, getting drinks. The next Neo was standing alone, watching his beer as if it held answers to everything.

He never felt like he belonged. Not in his office, not even in his home, and certainly not in a rowdy club full of people dancing and grinding.

"Hello Neo." The voice was soft, feminine and strong. Enough so to carry over the loud beats of Rob Zombie's screams.

He glanced over his shoulder and worked to keep his cool as he saw the speaker. Nearly half a foot shorter than he was with ebony hair that stood out against pale skin. She was wearing a leather shirt, strapless, along with a pair of tight black jeans.

His gaze moved back to her face. "How do you know that name?"

A hint of a smile graced her lips and Neo wondered if he had ever had the urge to kiss someone so hard. Strange, for him—a man who avoided any sort of intimate contact—and it staggered him. "I know a lot about you."

His eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

"My name is Trinity."

"Trinity," he repeated the name. "The Trinity?" That was the only thing that made sense. "That cracked the IRS D-Base?"

"That was a long time ago." She moved closer, stepping out of the walkway and moving against the wall, next to him.

"Jesus."

"What?" She asked.

"Noth—I just, I thought you were a guy."

Trinity smirked, her gaze raking his body. "Most guys do."

A sudden realization struck him. It was no coincidence that he was talking to one of the most notable hackers of all time. Follow the White Rabbit.

"That was you on my computer," he said aloud, "wasn't it?"

"I needed to get your attention somehow."

"You have it."

She stepped closer, breaking into his personal space. "Good. Now are you paying attention?"

Her leg had somehow gotten between his thighs.

No, he thought, he was not paying attention to a word she was saying when she was in such close proximity. He wondered if there was a way to politely say as much.

But, as it turned out, she wasn't waiting for a response. "I'm here for you, Neo."

The words she spoke were released in a warm breath on his neck that made his hair stand up on end.

"Why?"

The beat of the music changed, becoming louder. Her lips pressed against his neck and Neo leaned his head back against the wall, fighting a groan.

"You're the One, Neo. I'm going to find you."

The beat grew louder and louder, pulsing against the walls of the club.

"I promise. I will find you."

With a kiss to his cheek, he felt himself move backwards. He was being torn away from her. The wall that had been behind him had disappeared and the beat started blaring until it could no longer be ignored.

Neo's eyes snapped open as he turned to glance at the clock on his bedside.

9:30.

He swore.

It was a dream. Just another dream and to top it all off, he was late for work.

Neo swore and kicked the blankets off, having no time to give a second thought to the dream or the tingle against his cheek where the dream woman had kissed him.

* * *

The room was cold and metallic and dark and somehow felt more like home than anything Neo had ever felt before. It was basically barren, save a few books in a netted overhang near the bed. There was no art or color or anything that made the room look any different than a prison cell but he smiled as he closed the door behind him.

He kicked off his boots at the foot of the bed, next to a slightly smaller pair that were perfectly lined up. Neo let his boots fall.

His shirt came off next and he tossed it on top of a small, metal table in the back of the small room.

A rustling came from the bed and a figure lifted their head ever so slightly. Without the lights on, he could only make out the shadow of a lithe, feminine form.

"Neo?" she murmured, voice still low from sleep.

"I'm here." His own voice was utterly soft as he replied, bending down to kiss her forehead before untying his belt. "Go back to sleep, Trinity."

Trinity rolled onto her side, beautiful blue eyes peeking out from under her dark lashes. "I missed you."

"Did you now?" Neo smiled, pulling the blanket back to crawl in next to her. "Even in your sleep?"

She snuggled up against him. "I always miss you when you aren't here." She kissed his jaw. "How was your shift?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Almost fell asleep a couple times."

"Night shifts do that to you," she agreed, her eyes trailing down his body and back up to his face. "I don't suppose you're still tired?"

He fought a smile and forced himself to yawn. "A bit. But, I suppose, I could be convinced to stay up a bit longer… for the right incentive."

Trinity propped herself up on her elbow and leaned over, pressing a kiss to his jaw, just below his ear. Her open mouth traced down the jawline to his chin, her teeth grazing enough to make him feel it. She nipped at his chin before pushing up further on her arm and throwing her leg over his hips so that she was straddling him.

She rolled her hips against him once, reaching down to pull off his sweater. Neo helped her push it off, tossing it to the floor. It wouldn't be needed for a while, if he had his way. He pushed himself up off the bed, almost to a sitting position so that he could pull his own shirt over his head and throw it carelessly to join hers before rolling so that they switched positions.

Had anything felt as good as the woman beneath him?

"Trinity…" he breathed as he laid back against her. She was so soft, so beautiful. He lowered his mouth to hers and tasted her silky tongue. Had anything ever tasted so sweet?

But what was that noise?

Trinity pushed up. "Fuck. That's the sentinel's alarm."

Sentinels? His vision became hazy and Trinity started to fade from sight. Neo's heart sped up as he reached out to try to touch her.

Neo blinked.

His alarm was blaring on his messy bedside table, the clock reading 8:30.

A dream. Again.

He laid his head to the mattress and punched down in the empty spot next to him. A fucking dream, leaving him ridiculously aroused and angry. Every night he went to sleep with the hope of seeing _her._ He always did, without fail.

But nights like that, the ones that ended before they could even begin…

His nails bit into his palm.

Shaking his head, Neo got up from the bed. His only reprieve was he wasn't late for work. Yet.

* * *

Neo stood alone in the club, wondering what the hell he was doing.

 _Come on,_ Choi had said, _it will be fun._

But Choi and his girlfriend had disappeared within minutes of getting to the club. One minute, they were at the bar, getting drinks. And now he was alone, watching the world move around him.

"Hello Neo." The voice was oddly familiar.

He glanced over his shoulder and Jesus fucking Christ, he had never seen anyone so beautiful before. Her body was adorned in tight, dark clothes. The flesh of her collarbone and shoulders were bared and he longed to kiss both.

His gaze moved back to her face. "How do you know that name?"

A hint of a smile graced her lips. "I know a lot about you."

His eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

"My name is Trinity."

Trinity… The syllables echoed softly in his brain. " _The_ Trinity? That cracked the IRS D-base?"

The smile grew into a smirk. She didn't have to answer. The woman in front of him, who looked like a siren, instead replied, "That was a long time ago."

It was. Years before Neo could create a simple pathway. She didn't look like she could be thirty and that legendary hack had happened fifteen years ago. She had to have been a kid.

" _Jesus._ " He cursed low and thoughtfully.

"What?"

The words tumbled out before he could stop them. "I just… I thought you were a guy."

She shrugged. "Most guys do."

He turned toward her, understanding dawning, "That was you on my computer. How did you do that?"

"Right now, all I can tell you is you're in danger. I brought you here to warn you… They're watching you, Neo." She stepped closer. If he reached out, he could probably touch her.

"Who is?"

"Please. Just listen." And holy fuck, there she was. Closer, pressed up against him. He could feel her warm skin, her warm breath on his neck. She rested her head just below his ear so that, to anyone who was watching, it would look like they were necking. God, he wished he was that lucky.

" I know why you're here, Neo. I know what you've been doing. I know why you hardly sleep, why you live alone, and why night after night you sit at your computer. You're looking for him. I know, because I was once looking for the same thing. And when he found me, he told me I wasn't really looking for him. I was looking for an answer. It's the question that drives us, Neo. It's the question that brought you here. You know the question just as I did."

He exhaled, "What is the Matrix?"

"The answer is out there, Neo." She pulled back, her hand grazing his as she did. "It's looking for you. And it will find you, if you want it to."

With every step backwards she took, the beat of the music increased. The subtle bass turning into a high and loud beep until he blinked and opened his eyes, only to find himself in bed.

"Oh shit," he said, sitting up as he took in his surroundings. Home. She wasn't there. She wasn't real. Just another fucking dream. And he was late for work. "Oh shit shit shit."

* * *

A wave of heat came over him, like a gust of hot air in the city. But when he opened his eyes, he wasn't in the city. He was in a stone cavern, cut impossibly high and wide. The floor seemed to be shaking with the hard bass of the drums and the synchronized jumping. All around him, scantily-clad men and women were swaying to a primitive beat.

Neo stepped forward, looking around. He received glances from the couples all around him as he pushed out from the middle of the room towards one of the walls.

The ground was warm, almost burning his feet if he did not move quick enough.

A hand touched his shoulder and he turned around.

"You're late," Trinity told him. Her hair was a bit longer than he was used to seeing, her bangs were long enough to warrant being tucked behind her ears.

"I got held up by Deadbolt. Apparently, the ‘stunt' I pulled last week was not as impressive as I think it was." He said dryly.

Her laugh was more than enough to make up for dealing with Commander Lock. Trinity reached up and wrapped an arm around his neck. "I think you're impressive." She tilted her head up and kissed him. Neo eagerly accepted the kiss, his hands traveling down and around her waist, pulling her closer to him and lifting her slightly off the ground.

She laughed, softly, against his mouth and tightened her grip on him as he pushed her against the wall.

They kissed languidly for what seemed like hours. He hoped it would never end but eventually, the air grew thin and they both needed to pause if only to avoid asphyxiation.

Her breath was warm against his mouth as they panted in tandem.

Her eyes opened and met his. "Dance with me," she whispered.

He hated dancing but he could not deny her anything when she looked at him like that.

Carefully, he set her to her feet and allowed her to lead him onto the floor where couples and group danced and grinded to the rhythm of the drums. Neo let her choose the spot, stopping only when she did. She reached behind her and grabbed his other hand and moved both so that they rested on her hips. She leaned her head back so that it rested on his shoulder and began to sway.

He kept one hand where she left it as she moved against him. The other he let trace under the vest she wore. His fingers trailed along her stomach and then back to her side. Upwards, past her breasts and shoulders until he reached her face. He took her chin in between his finger and thumb and pulled it up for a kiss.

He could feel her lips smile as they continued, moving to the music and the beat that grew louder, thumping and blaring. Blaring?

Oh no.

Neo let his arms down to circle around the woman in his arms but she disappeared as his vision went black and then white as he woke up to his surroundings.

He fought the urge to scream and curse, his anger causing his heart to race.

It just wasn't fair.

Every night.

Those blue eyes and dark hair haunted him. He knew her body better than he knew his own but she wasn't real. Just another dream that had successfully destroyed him for all other women.

He rolled out of bed. "Until tonight, Trin," he murmured.

* * *

Wake up, Neo. Follow the White Rabbit. Choi at his door and the club, yet again.

He knew this dream forwards and backwards. Had seen it over a hundred times, haunting him every night for as long as he could remember.

"Hello, Neo."

Neo blinked. That was Trinity's voice coming from over his shoulder.

"Hello, Trinity." He turned around. _At least I get to see her_.

He waited for their repartee to begin. Her lips parted but she said nothing. For a moment, they simply stared at each other.

"You know who I am?" she asked carefully, her eyes narrowing.

Neo chuckled, pushing away from the wall and walking towards her. The top she was wearing was strapless black leather. He had peeled it from her body often enough to know that the zipper was on the side, under her left arm rather than behind her back.

"I thought we determined that being coy didn't become you?" he replied with a low voice. He used his free hand, the one not clutching his beer, to tuck her hair back behind her ear. "So," he said as his fingers trailed down her neck, "which dream is this? Are you here to take me home? Or are you here to warn me?"

"Warn you?"

"Fair enough, although I so desperately prefer the one where you take me home."

A beat passed. She stared at him incredulously. Uncertain was a new look on her.

"Come on," Neo egged on, "no need to be shy. We do this every night— you're here to warn me. Someone's watching me. And if I'm patient, you'll take me to Morpheus and tell me what the Matrix is." He tilted his head. "Huh. Looks like I just about summed it up. So, why don't we just fast forward into the part where," his hand found her hip and he pushed against her, driving her backwards until she came in contact with the wall, "we go home and leave this"—he ran a finger along her shirt—"somewhere on the floor."

"Wha—?"

His lips were on hers, swallowing the half-asked question into nothingness. She gave a little moan and Neo's free hand held the back of her head, holding her closer to him. He pressed himself against her until their bodies were as flush as could be.

Her hands, previously still against her side, circled up around his neck and she kissed back eagerly. Time seemed to slow around them, the music fading away into nothing.

And then a hand was on his shoulder and tugged him back. He turned his head and saw a dark haired man in a black coat and suit.

"They know we're here," he said, his voice low.

A flush came on Trinity's cheeks. "He knows, Apoc."

"What?"

"He knows who I am."

The man in the coat blinked. "How is that possible?"

"This is new. Never seen you here in this club," Neo commented. "Actually weird seeing you outside of the Neb."

Apoc's face tightened and nostrils flared. He looked at Trinity who shook her head, as confused as he was.

After a moment, he shook his head. "We have to move. Agents are coming."

"What about Neo?" She asked. "We can't leave him here."

Apoc nodded, "Then we'll take him. Is there a back way out of here?"

"One through the kitchen and another by the bathrooms, but that one is alarmed." Both Apoc and Trinity stared at him. He shrugged in response, adding, "We set it off one night."

"One night?" Apoc repeated.

"Later," Trinity said, pulling out a phone. "Tank, I need you to shut down the power for the back door alarm, near the bathrooms."

She nodded at whatever was said and looked at Neo. "Can you ride a motorcycle?"

"Uhhh…"

"Just two. I'll take Neo with me. Yes. There's been… a development. Send in the crew. We might have to take him out now."

She closed the phone and motioned to the back exit. Apoc led the way and with a nod from Trinity, Neo followed.

It was new, that was for certain. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. He much preferred the dreams that ended with her pressing her body against his until he could feel nothing but her. Still, he figured, there was time. Perhaps in an alley when Apoc went his own way…

They moved towards the exit and sure enough, whoever was on the line of Trinity's phone knew what they were doing. The alarm was off and he followed Apoc into the alley, Trinity just behind him. Close enough he could practically feel her essence.

Two motorcycles were waiting for them. Apoc climbed on the first. "Where?"

"State and Balboa," Trinity said. "You take Neo. I'll distract the Agents."

"No," Neo quickly interjected, turning to face Trinity, "I'm staying with you."

"I don't even want to touch on what that display in the club just was," added Apoc with an affirming nod, "but I think it's best that he sticks with you."

"Neo…"

"I'm not leaving your side," he said firmly, leaving no room for argument. He touched a hand to her cheek. "There is nothing you can say to make me leave."

His thumb circled her cheek bone and she licked her lips.

After a moment, she nodded to Apoc. "Go. Be safe."

"You've got a lot to explain, Trinity."

Apoc turned on the bike and soon zoomed out of the little alley. Trinity stepped back from Neo. "We have to go," she said, swinging a leg over the Triumph Speed Triple. "Get on."

He followed her, wrapping his arms around her middle.

"Hold tight."

_Never letting go._

She kicked the bike into gear and then they were gone, flying out of the alley and onto the street. In five seconds, they reached speeds that Neo was pretty sure were illegal. But it didn't matter. It was just a dream and he could care less what they were doing when his head was nuzzling her neck.

She stiffened and then relaxed, as if she wasn't used to his touch. It was strange but unchangeable. Like every other dream, he would just have to wait for it to play out.

Sirens sounded behind him and he cursed under his breath. That meant the end. In only a few moments, he would open his eyes and realize he was late for work. Neo pressed a kiss to the back of Trinity's neck and closed his eyes. When he opened them, she was still there. Blue lights flashed down the street and Neo hazard a glance behind them.

A single cop car was following them.

"Don't let go," Trinity called over her shoulder.

 _Never_.

Before he could blink, they had turned onto a side street. The bike moved low, enough that had he only stretched his hand he could have touched the gravel. He tightened his grip, adrenaline spiking.

They shot back up and then turned again. Twisting around the back streets and through the alleys that the cop cars couldn't fit down. She was an expert at evasion and she did not slow down even when the sirens had drowned away by the blocks between them.

The relentless pace continued until they reached an old hotel that had long since been abandoned. A tattered remains of the past read: Lafayette Hotel.

She parked the bike and ordered, "Inside."

He climbed off the bike and walked over to the entrance. He had no sooner opened the door then felt himself pushed into the entryway and spun around so that his back was against it, slamming shut beneath his weight.

"How do you know who I am?"

Familiar position, strange new topic.

"We do this every night, love," Neo said, giving her a once over. "Although, you usually don't get so aggressive at this stage."

"What the hell do you mean we do this every night? We've never met."

"Oh, well, this one is new. Normally the dreams take place in that club we just left. A few in Zion, a few on the Neb. We've never been here before but I like the way this you thinks—straight to a hotel." He took a step forward and Trinity took two back and he continued until she had backed into the opposite wall. "I wonder how many rooms we can christen before I wake up this time."

He dipped his head down and planted a kiss on her jaw, slowly moving down inch by inch while his hands began to explore her body. He gripped her by the hips and maneuvered his thigh between hers, pulling her forward enough that she rocked against him.

A soft moan escaped her, delighting him as he reached her mouth. He tugged her lower lip between his teeth and sucked gently. Her eyes fluttered shut as he continued to rock against her.

"Trin…" He murmured, moving his mouth towards her ear to the spot just below that he knew drove her wild. "My Trin."

"Neo…" She breathed out, stuttering on the outtake.

"Holy mother of god."

"Trinity!"

"Jee-sus fuck."

She gasped a small breath in, her eyes widening as she looked at Neo.

Neo sighed, "Crappy timing." He looked up at the intruders on the landing above them. Morpheus, Switch, Cypher, and Mouse all stared back. "Can I help you?" Neo asked, his ire starting to make an appearance in his voice.

He was met with silence. Poor Mouse was struggling to close his mouth.

"I, uh, think I speak for everyone here when I saw what the _bloody fuck_ is going on?" Switch asked, staring at the couple.

"What's going on…" said Neo, still not moving his hands from Trinity's hips, "is every time we start to do this"—he inclined his head towards Trinity—"we end up interrupted. And quite frankly, it's getting old. I don't care what is needed on the Neb, I don't care what Lock wants to berate me about this time around, and I don't give a flying fuck about saving the world right now. So if for one goddamn night, you would all give me a fucking hour with my girl, I'd be much obliged."

Nobody moved. The silence cut through the air as Neo glared over at the four watching the show from up above.

"You know who Lock is?" Trinity asked, finally.

"Old Deadbolt?" Neo answered. "Of course I do. He interrupted a particularly nice shower we were enjoying last Friday."

Trinity was looking at him like a puzzle she was trying to piece together.

"These dreams… What do you remember?"

"Everything." Neo said with a shrug. "But do we really have to talk about this now? Any second, my alarm is going to—"

"Who is looking at us right now? Their names." When he opened his mouth to protest, she shook her head. "Please, Neo, humor me."

Neo rolled his eyes but looked. "We got Cypher on the left. Switch, with a hand on their gun, which I feel is unnecessary. Morpheus then Mouse, who is going to start catching flies if he can't close his mouth. Don't know where the hell Apoc got off to but I imagine he'll be here soon."

Her eyes narrowed. "How long have you had these dreams?"

Neo shrugged, looking disinterested. "I don't know. Long as I can remember."

"Who else is on the Neb's crew?" She glanced at Morpheus, trying to silently communicate and explain what was happening.

"Tank and Dozer."

"What's the name of my brother?"

"Ghost." He was short with the answers, almost bored.

"And what book do I keep on my bedside table in Zion?"

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but why does that matter?"

"My tattoos. What are they?"

"The triquetra"—his hand grazed over her hipbone where the Irish Trinity knot was inked onto her skin—"and the little crown." He nodded with his head to her left leg where the crown rested on her ankle.

"Christ, that's right," Trinity breathed, looking up again at Morpheus. "He's right on all counts."

"What does that mean?" Cypher asked, looking to Morpheus.

"He's the One."

"Yeah yeah," said Neo with a careless wave of his hand, "I'll save Zion tomorrow. Can you all just go away so Trin and I can have five goddamn minutes without being interrupted before I wake up?"

"Neo," Trinity said, straightening against the wall, still trapped in his arms, "this isn't a dream."

"Then what is it? You're really standing here? Right in front of me?" he asked doubtfully.

"Yes! Well, no. Not exactly. It's complicated."

"Then let's uncomplicate it." He looked up at their audience. "You all, disperse." And back to Trinity, "You, come with me." He took her by the hand.

Trinity dug her feet in, grasping his wrist with her spare hand. "Neo, wait," she said, "I need you to come with me. Upstairs, with them."

Neo frowned, "I don't want to waste any more time."

"You won't be," she said, "I promise. Please, Neo. We don't have much time as it is. Just for tonight, come with me."

She was pleading with him. Well, as close to pleading as Trin could come while still fully clothed. He sighed, knowing he was about to give in and hating himself for it.

"Fine."

He was rewarded with a soft smile and a squeeze to his hand. "Come with me," Trinity said, leading him towards the staircase. She pulled ahead slightly as they climbed the stairs but Neo did not let go.

"Upstairs," Trinity ordered the other four once they reached the landing. "And get the pills ready."

Mouse and Cypher ran ahead, Switch following at a more leisurely pace. Morpheus waited for them to reach him. "I don't understand what is going on," he admitted, looking between his first officer and the coppertop he believed to be the One.

"He's had dreams," Trinity said carefully, "perhaps visions or prophecies? Of who we are. He knew me before I could even introduce myself in the club, Morpheus."

"That isn't possible." Morpheus said, even his beliefs having their limits.

"It shouldn't be," Trinity agreed, "but it is."

"You've dreamt of us?" Morpheus asked. "You know about us?"

Neo shrugged. "Mostly Trin, but yeah."

"Why Trinity?"

"Because Trinity is mine." And he said it in such a no nonsense voice, there was no room for misunderstanding. There was a pause and then Neo added, "The rest of you make appearances. Usually as cockblockers."

If Morpheus hadn't seen it, he might not have believed that his first officer could turn that color of red.

"For how long?" Morpheus asked, ignoring the last part of what Neo said.

"I don't know. About fifteen years?" He shrugged. "As long as I can remember I've dreamed of Trinity. I've got quite a few that play on repeat but this one is new." He looked around. "Pretty sure we haven't ever been here."

"This isn't a dream, Neo," said Morpheus.

"Feels like a dream," Neo commented. "Looks like a dream." He indicated the woman standing next to him. "Trinity is too close to perfection to be real. Just look at her."

The red that had been starting to fade from her cheeks came back.

"Neo," she said, "this isn't a dream. How can I prove to you that I'm really here?"

"You can't," Neo said. "No matter what happens, I'm going to wake up to my blaring alarm clock and you'll be gone until I fall asleep tomorrow night."

She opened her mouth to reply but the words wouldn't come out. Instead, she looked to Morpheus, the confusion and fear still driving her as she asked, "Is this even possible?"

Morpheus stared back in awe. "It has to be. He is the One."

Trinity looked back at Neo. She took her free hand and cupped his face. "I know you don't believe me. But I am begging you to trust me right now."

"You're not real."

"I am. I am real and I can prove it to you. I just need you to trust me." Her eyes were wide as she pleaded.

Neo huffed a small laugh. "Okay, Trin. I'll follow you to the ends of the earth. Or until I wake up."

She dropped the hand on his cheek and began moving, pulling him along by the hand as they climbed the stairs to the third floor. She let go only to push open double doors that led into an old suite. Two chairs sat facing each other and Trinity nodded her head towards one.

Neo took her hand again, bringing her with him.

"I should… let you and Morpheus talk," she said, the flush of her cheeks returning. She did not seem able to meet his eyes.

"If you think I'm letting you out of my sight, you're delusional."

"It's fine, Trinity," Morpheus said, closing the doors behind him. "I think it is best that you do stay."

She nodded and moved to stand behind the chair where Neo would sit. He took his seat lazily and let out a breath.

"Okay. What is so important?"

"Neo, do you know what the Matrix is?"

He opened his mouth to respond but was stunted in his explanation. He thought back to every dream he had. The ones in the city underground, the sewer pipes that the Neb flew down, the club, his apartment. A veil began to lift as his mind allowed him an inkling of the truth: they were not in the same world.

"This…" Neo said, looking down and thinking hard, "this is the Matrix. But I don't understand… Why can't I remember?"

"I'm afraid I don't have answers for you," Morpheus spoke softly. "I don't know what you know or what you have seen. All I can tell you is that you are right: this is the Matrix. It is all around us. You can see it out your window or on your television. You feel it when you go to work, or go to church or pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth."

"What truth?"

"That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage, kept inside a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. A prison for your mind."

Neo looked to Trinity. Her expression was clear but he could see the bit of worry clouding her eyes. She was afraid, but of what?

"This isn't real," he said, "The dreams… they were?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "If they are, they haven't happened yet. But I believe you were dreaming of the real world."

"Where you are?"

"Yes."

"How do I get there?"

She looked to Morpheus. Morpheus held out his hands. "This is your last chance. After this, there is no going back. You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake in your bed and you believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes."

Neo reached for the red pill without hesitation.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. "This is not to be taken lightly, Neo," Trinity said softly. "You take the red pill, you will never see your family again. You will lose any and all friends you have, your home, your life… they will all be gone."

"My life disappears every morning already," he replied, holding her gaze. He popped the red pill and swallowed it dry.

The corner of her mouth tipped up but she did not allow herself to smile.

Morpheus stood up. "Time is of the essence. We need to move."

Trinity nodded and held her hand out to Neo. He took it without hesitation and stood up.

A banging echoed from the hall and Trinity and Morpheus moved so that they were in front of him. A gun appeared in Trinity's hand and Neo wondered where the hell she had been stashing _that_.

The doors to the room opened and Apoc walked in, hair astray.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Neo has taken the red pill."

"Oh. Good." He looked between Neo and Trinity. "Has he kept his hands to himself?"

"No comment," said Morpheus, moving to the old hotel bedroom converted with their tools to send him back. "Have a seat, Neo."

Trinity led him to the chair and immediately began peeling stickers attached to wire. She began to apply them to his skin, her touch soft and steady as she kept her face blank.

"The pill you took," Morpheus explained, "is part of a trace program. It's designed to disrupt your input/output carrier signal so we can pinpoint your location."

"Which means?"

"Buckle your seatbelt, Dorothy," said Cypher, "because Kansas is going bye-bye."

"It means we're coming for you," Trinity said, quietly enough that only he could hear her. " _I'm_ coming for you."

"You'll be there when I open my eyes?"

"I'll be there as soon as I can," she promised. "It won't be long now."

He looked around and noticed the mirror next to him. It rippled and moved like a mirror shouldn't.

Idly, he let his hand touch it and the silvery glass swept up his arm. And then he was lost.

Neo opened his eyes. Above him was a haze of red. He reached up, searching for her. It wouldn't be long, she had promised. He pushed through the thick bubble encasing him and broke it open, the red liquid spilling everywhere. But he still couldn't breathe.

A tube was stuck down his throat. Wires had him trapped everywhere.

He yanked at the tube, ripping it from him, coughing through the pain and trying not to vomit.

He looked around. Where was she?

But instead of Trinity, he saw a thousand pods, just like the one he had laid in. All around him.

And then, he felt tens of rips along his arms, the wires and plugs being yanked from his skin quickly. Too quickly, causing him to fade in a haze. Before he could register anything, the pod he was in opened up and Neo was falling, crashing down into a river below him.

His mind emptied as he tried desperately to swim to the surface.

He wouldn't die here, he knew. He couldn't. She had promised.

He fought to stay with his head above water and then he heard it. A loud whirring that interrupted the rushing water and caused the pool around him to ripple.

Something was lowering to him and then he was moving up, trapped in a claw-like grip.

His eyes fell shut and then he was on a cold metallic floor.

"Trinity," he whispered. "Trin…"

"I'm here," her voice sounded from above him.

His face fell into a smile and he allowed himself, once more, to fade into the abyss.


	2. Welcome to the Real World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was beta'd by Doranwen! Thanks so much for your help!

"Get him to the medbay," Trinity ordered as Dozer tossed a blanket over Neo's body.

The moment he had heard her voice he had passed from consciousness, a fact she wasn't quite sure how to deal with. She wasn't sure how to deal with or process any of what just happened.

The Oracle had told her about the One but the old lady hadn't mentioned _this._

Together, Dozer and Apoc picked Neo up and began to carry him. She moved to follow but Morpheus stepped in front of her. "Trinity," he said, "what just happened?"

She watched as Dozer and Apoc turned the corner, taking Neo from sight. A glance around the room revealed that everybody was watching her.

"I don't know," she answered honestly.

"Trinity…"

"I don't," she insisted, every hair standing on end. "I can't explain what just happened."

"Maybe try from the beginning," said Tank, who was the only one wearing a shit-eating grin. "Like when you started making out with him in that club. I mean, Jesus, Trin. I told you to get his attention, not freaking molest him."

She glared at the Operator. "He kissed _me_ _,_ " she said. "He initiated all… that."

"I've seen you take out SWAT teams," Switch said. "If you didn't want that kiss, you could have stopped him."

"I don't know what happened," she said again, eyes glancing away because _fuck,_ she knew that Switch was right. Everyone knew Switch was right. She could have stopped it but she hadn't wanted to. The moment he put his lips on hers she was lost. "He knew who I was when I walked up to him. He called me by my name and asked me which dream it was—whether I was coming to warn him or"—she hesitated—"it doesn't matter. He basically repeated back my speech to me and the next thing I knew, he was kissing me."

"He knew what you were going to say?" Morpheus asked.

"Yes. He knew it all, until Apoc showed up. He said that was new. But he followed me when I asked and when we got to the hotel, I asked him how he knew me. He said that we did this every night. That he dreams about me every night. And that was when you all came in."

"You weren't exactly conversing when we came in." Switch teased, waggling their brow excitedly.

"Yeah," she said with a nod, "I got distracted." She looked up at Morpheus. "I don't know more than that. Just that he says he knows who I am and I believe him. He knows the book I keep on my bedside table, for fuck's sake. Truly, I don't know what is going on. But I need to go to him. I promised."

Morpheus moved to the side, letting her pass. A string of swears left Cypher's mouth as she walked towards the medbay, her steps quickening. Dozer and Apoc had him on the table already, a towel covering his waist and protecting his modesty as Dozer wiped him down.

"What can I do?"

"Well, I'd hold out on the kissing till he's conscious." Trinity smacked Apoc as he walked by with a basin. Apoc smirked, the water sloshing a bit over the edge. "If you think you're _ever_ living this down, think again."

Dozer looked up and flashed her a grin. "Oh, we are having words, little girl. I was fast asleep and the next thing I know, Mouse is banging on my door that I have to get up because 'Trin is about to screw the coppertop' and Morpheus is saying we have to move."

"I was not about to 'screw the coppertop'!" Her arms folded across her chest.

"'Three minutes', she said. 'I'll be out in three minutes,'" Apoc mimicked, "After ten, I get a call from Tank saying Agents are coming and Trinity needs backup. I walk into the club and find you guys connected at the mouth and hips, grinding like no one is watching. When, in actuality, the whole club and everyone _here_ was watching."

Her face heated up. They were… right. Whether she had intended it or not, whether she understood it or not, that was exactly what happened.

Apoc was right. She was never going to live this down.

"It just… happened. So fucking fast."

"One minute you're giving a speech to prepare him to leave the Matrix, the next you're back-to-the-wall getting ready to bone. It's happened to all of us." Apoc laughed and dodged the wet rag she tossed at his head.

"Okay, enough of the heckling. I made out with an unplugged coppertop. It happened, it's done. What can I do to help?"

"Start an IV drip," Dozer said. "We want to make this as pain-free as possible for your boyfriend."

"Unless you think he's into that." Apoc dodged the blunt instrument she threw at his head, too. "Hey! Hostile work environment!"

"Apoc, I will put you on desk duty so fast—"

"Okay, okay. I'll be good. For now. Once we've got him stable, I'm coming for your life."

"Fine," Trinity said. "Pretty sure Switch and Tank are working on their arsenal to throw at me as we speak."

"Oh, I got a running list in my head. Once we're done here, I'm going to start writing them down."

"When we get him stable," Dozer added, "I need an actual update on whatever the hell is going on. We can't pick up what you're saying on this side. All I know is you two were going hot and heavy until you were interrupted. And, for such an innocent looking thing, he can be a tad handsy."

"Tell me about it," Trinity muttered, hooking the drip into one of Neo's plugs as Dozer worked on his other side, setting up a heart monitor. "How bad is the atrophy?"

"Honestly?" said Dozer, glancing up, "I won't know for sure until we get him completely wired into our system but from the feel of it, it isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. A few days of acupuncture and he should be fine. That said, I'd start him on a workout regimen immediately just to get him up to speed."

"I'll start prepping the needles. I know we weren't planning to do this today."

"Eh, things happen. Sometimes Agents show up and speed things along, sometimes our first officer decides she wants to take a poddie home for herself."

Trinity rolled her eyes and looked across Neo to Dozer. "This is my life now, isn't it?"

"You started to hook up with a guy still plugged in," Dozer answered. "This gives us fodder for the rest of your life."

She huffed a laugh, looking down at Neo. His breathing was steady and far too comforting for her own good. She looked away, purposefully moving to ready the needles that Dozer would inject into Neo to stimulate his muscles. Usually Morpheus would help him, although intermediate first aid was a requirement for any of the unplugged. It was a process that she hated to watch but would, ultimately, help him make a full recovery.

Her heart stuttered in her chest. She didn't know what she would do when he woke up for more than a moment.

She didn't know what she could say to him.

 _That doesn't matter, s_ he told herself, _not now. He's unconscious and breathing true air for the first time in his life. Worry about what to say after he's safe and well._

She closed her mind to doubt, thankful for the constant mindfulness exercises that were necessary to survive life in the Matrix. Doubt could wait.

Trinity walked over to the locked cabinet where the sterilized needles were kept. It took hundreds to help rebuild the atrophied muscles. She busied herself with sorting through while she waited for Dozer to attach the monitors.

He gave the okay and Trinity and Dozer began carefully inserting the thin needles through the skin to stimulate the muscles. She watched his fingers twitch as she put one near his shoulder. She knew from experience that the needles didn't hurt so much as twinge but she could remember waking up for the first time, looking down at her body and seeing hundreds of needles sticking out.

Apoc brought over a second try and began working on Neo's legs as she and Dozer continued with his upper body.

"How's he doing?" Switch asked from the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" Trinity asked, not unkindly.

"What? Can't I just stop in to check on how the One is doing?"

Trinity narrowed her eyes. "You said you didn't think Neo was the One because he was, what was it, dull as dirt?"

Switch smirked. "That was before I knew what the man was capable of. A guy kisses you like that and doesn't get punched in the face? He's got to be the One."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, instead settling for, "Has Tank decided on a place to set down while he recuperates?"

"Got a couple places picked out. Should be safe from squiddies while loverboy heals."

She could see Dozer desperately trying to hold back a laugh. Trinity kept her face schooled as she glanced up from the needle she had placed. "Are you going to be helpful or just annoying?"

"I get a choice?"

Trinity smirked. "Nope. Help Apoc."

Switch wasn't too put off by the order and soon Neo's body was resting under several hundred needles. Switch left with Apoc once Neo was settled. Trinity only had to suffer a handful of jokes at her expense and Apoc removed Switch from the room before Trinity could find another projectile to chuck.

She preferred it with just her and Dozer anyway. It was much quieter and a lot less smirking going on. And while she knew he had plenty of questions, he would hold off for her sake.

Dozer cleaned out the plugs on Neo's body carefully as Trinity continued to work with the long needles, most of which were to stay in place for a few hours, but a few required more constant motion to stimulate the unused muscles.

Neo jolted as she removed one such needle from his abdomen. He gave a sharp intake of breath and his eyes snapped open. He blinked in the light, almost deliriously.

"Trinity," he managed to force out, his voice shaking slightly.

"Here," she said, letting her hand brush his. Neo's hand grabbed hers, squeezing tightly. His grip was shockingly strong for a poddie.

"Why do my eyes hurt?" He was blinking, trying to look at her but burning at the light.

"You've never used them before," she replied softly. "Rest, Neo." She squeezed his hand. "You're safe now."

He let his eyes close but he was not resting. His hand still clenched hers, his face was still tight.

"You'll stay?" he asked.

"I'll be close by," she promised, letting her free hand wipe at his brow.

Neo relaxed a little at that and she soon felt his fingers loosen and she was able to reclaim her hand as he drifted.

Dozer was watching her when she looked up, eyes narrowed and face worried.

She avoided his gaze, moving back down to adjust the needles.

"What the hell happened in the Matrix?" Dozer asked aloud, awe dripping from his words.

"Something we all need to hear." Morpheus stepped into the room. Mouse was behind him, looking around curiously but eyes lingering on her for far longer than she liked. Morpheus examined Neo as he walked around the table. "Is he stable?"

"Yes," Dozer said. "He's doing surprisingly well."

Morpheus gave a nod. "We're having a meeting in five minutes. Mouse will stay here and monitor Neo. I expect everyone else to be there."

It was directed at her, she knew.

Morpheus could tell that she was more than ready to book it rather than share what little she knew with everyone else. Unfortunately, being on a hovercraft meant there were limited places to hide and eventually she would have to come forward about what she knew.

She nodded. "Fine," she said, and set the needles she had just removed into a basin of water. It turned pink at the drops of blood.

Dozer gave instructions to Mouse while he and Trinity washed up. Neo would be fine and was unlikely to wake up while they were gone. Mouse had strict orders not to touch anything. Or do anything. He was to sit a safe distance away from Neo and watch the screens for any change in heart rate or brain activity. If there was a change, he was to do nothing but call for Dozer.

Trin could feel her hair on end as she walked away from Neo and out of the infirmary. Dozer gave her a pat on the back in solidarity as they moved to the mess hall. Everyone else was already seated, save Morpheus, who stood near the door. Trin walked to the back to lean against the counter that Tank sat on while Dozer took a seat at the table.

A beat passed as they settled.

"I don't even know where to begin," Morpheus said.

"I've got a couple ideas," Switch said, waggling their eyebrows.

The captain ignored the comment as he surveyed the room. "I suppose I should start by saying that everyone did a great job tonight. We obviously were not expecting to pull Neo out at this time and I am quite pleased with the speed in which Mouse, Cypher, and Switch were able to get into the Matrix and get to action."

"My only regret is that we did not get as much _action_ as Trinity." Switch grinned back at her.

"Ha ha," she said, her tone devoid of humor but she allowed a small slip of a smile.

Morpheus looked at her. "What happened tonight? Everything you can tell us."

It wasn't exactly a simple question. She crossed her arms over her chest as everyone stared at her and shrugged a shoulder. "Got in, got to the club without issue. Apoc was waiting outside so that he could keep an eye out for Agents. We didn't want to take any risks after the other night."

And that was where things got complicated.

"I, uh, went into the club. Found him. He was hanging out in the back, drinking a beer. I said 'hello, Neo' and he… he didn't even turn around. He just said "Hello, Trinity" back. He knew who I was. I asked him how and he said something about how being coy doesn't suit me." She shifted, uncomfortable under the gaze of so many. "He asked me why I was there tonight. Whether I was there to give him the speech about being watched or…"

"Or what?" Cypher asked, his eyes narrowed.

"It doesn't matter." She shook her head, hoping that the warmth in her stomach at the memory of him asking if she was there to take him home had not flushed her face as much as it warmed her insides.

"How?" Apoc asked. "How did he know who you were?"

"He said that we did this every night, to some variation. That he dreamed about me. He was able to recite all the key points I had planned on saying to him about what he was looking for, about finding Morpheus and the Matrix. He seemed bored and said since he had summed it up, we might as well… move on."

"Meaning hardcore make out session?" Tank asked with a grin.

"Continue, Trinity," Morpheus said, shooting a warning glance at Tank.

"Uh, Apoc showed up. We got outside to the alley and Apoc got on one bike to go distract the Agents, Neo and I went on the other."

"You were going to go off and distract them," Apoc reminded her. "But he refused to let you go without him."

Trinity nodded. "He kept making comments that he was going to wake up. He was practically paranoid that the moment I left his sight, he would be back in his apartment. There was nothing I could say to convince him it wasn't a dream."

"I know we're supposed to be figuring out what the hell happened," said Switch, "but I think I'm stuck on the fact a coppertop has been dreaming about kissing you for god knows how long. Like, what the hell do we make of that?"

Trinity knew the answer, deep in her gut. It had weighed on her for years, even before the Oracle had eventually explained the ache inside of her. But she would be damned if she told the entire room what the Oracle had told her all those years ago. It wasn't for Cypher or Apoc or even Switch. Under the right circumstances she might tell Tank, if only to be able to have someone else understand the pressure inside of her. And Morpheus…

She loved Morpheus. Like a father. But Morpheus had purpose. He had spent his life searching for the One not realizing that a direct link to the One was already aboard his ship.

There were times she had thought about telling him what the Oracle had said, if only to stop him from projecting the notion onto others. But she could never bring herself to go through with it. If Morpheus had known, loving her like a daughter or not, he would have used her.

"It means," said Morpheus, "that Neo is meant to be here. On this ship."

"So he kissed Trinity, now he's the One?" asked Cypher, rolling his eyes.

"An oversimplification," Morpheus said, "but possible. How often has he had these dreams? Did he say?"

"Every night. For as long as he can remember. And not just about the club. He's had dreams on the Neb, in Zion. He made an offhand comment about Deadbolt."

She could almost feel the tension in the room increase with that revelation. The jokes at her expense were all well and good, but it went beyond that.

"The fuck…" Tank said, astounded.

"I asked him questions." Trinity told him and the other two who hadn't been there when she questioned Neo. "He knew who everyone on the crew was. He knew who Ghost was. He knew what and where my tattoos are. He even knew the book I kept on my bedside table."

"Didn't know you have tattoos," Cypher commented, sounding a little too interested for her tastes. "Where are they?"

"Does it matter?"

"She's got one on her ankle and one on her hip," Switch said, practically jumping in their seat with excitement. "Oh, he has _definitely_ seen you naked."

"I'm aware of the implications."

"Yes, well…" said Morpheus with a hint of humor, "I can't say I was expecting the One to call me a 'cockblocker' the first time I met him."

Trinity rolled her eyes and looked away. Unbelievable, she thought, even Morpheus was jumping on the train to tease her.

"Shut. Up." Tank clapped his hands together. "Oh, this is too good. Like, I'm genuinely curious what I did to deserve all that is happening right now." He leaned over towards Trinity. "Can I please be the one to tell Sparks that you're boning the One?"

Switch giggled. "Oh, Sparks is going to lose it. His little brain might just explode."

"We're not telling anyone _anything_ _,_ " said Trinity, "Let's give Neo a chance to wake up before this goes any further than this room."

"I like that you're not denying that you're totally going to bone the One," Switch commented, "but yeah. We'll keep this here for now. Although I got plenty of questions for him when he wakes up."

"We all do," said Morpheus. "He's unplugged now. Did not hesitate with the red pill. I believe he has some inkling that the other world was not what it seemed." She was not unaware that her commanding officer was watching her. "We'll settle in until he's well enough to get up and move on from there. Meeting adjourned. Dozer, go relieve Mouse. Everyone else, there's plenty to be done around here."

Everyone began to file out of the kitchen.

Morpheus shook his head when she pushed off the counter and began to walk away. Trinity stopped, unsure of what he could possibly ask that he hadn't already. When the kitchen had emptied, save the Captain and his first officer, Morpheus inclined his head. "You know more than you're saying."

No point in lying, Trinity nodded. "I do."

"Tell me."

"No. Not everything needs to go through you."

"I'm not demanding everything."

She snorted. "That's a change."

Morpheus' eyes narrowed. Trinity rarely gave her commanding officer any sass. They were close. Trinity was arguably closer to Morpheus than anyone. He had always liked that she didn't take shit from him but this… it was different.

"I just want to know what is going on."

"The man you've had us tracking for months has apparently been dreaming about us for years. We found him, we saved him. That's what's going on."

"He couldn't keep his hands off you."

"Neo knows more than I do." Trinity looked away.

"Have you dreamed of him?"

Her face tightened as she paused. "Not… not the way he's dreamed of me. Certainly not every night and with nowhere near that amount of clarity. Not enough that I could recognize him, at least. His essence, yes. He has been… familiar since we started surveillance."

"You're connected," Morpheus inferred.

 _The Oracle said entwined_ , she thought, but did not share the memory with Morpheus.

"He's been in the real world for a matter of hours and has woken up only once since arriving. I'd rather not make statements at this time."

"Is he the One?"

"Morpheus…"

"Is he the One, Trinity?"

"I'm not the Oracle!" she shot back at him. "I'm not here to answer your questions and tell you that everything will be all right soon. I am _human_ , Morpheus. And you weren't the only one who got the shock of your life today so stop making this about your fucking quest!"

She wasn't sure when she had started yelling and really only noticed she had been when she had stopped, her breaths harsh.

Morpheus looked away. "I'm sorry."

She nearly felt guilty but she needed to hold this space for herself. "I know you want this war to end, Morpheus. We all do. I'm just asking for time. Time for Neo to wake up, time for me to… to process everything that has happened. I need you to trust that what I'm keeping to myself is for myself. Not for Zion, not for the war, not even for you."

"I do trust you."

"I know," she said with a nod. "I'll come to you when I'm ready."

Not giving him an opportunity to respond, Trinity walked out.


	3. The Desert of the Real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to Dorawen who beta'd this chapter!

Neo only woke a handful of times over the next few days. The first time he had woken up after the meeting with Morpheus, she was standing over him again. She had been helping Dozer stimulate his muscles. While adjusting one of the needles, the nerves in his leg caused him to kick up before falling back down on the harsh metal table.

He had been startled, eyes flying open, but she had placed a hand on his head and whispered to him that he was safe. He locked eyes with her and immediately he settled. Neo did not speak a single word before he had fallen back into an exhausted sleep.

She and Dozer had exchanged a look but the medic had been kind enough not to say anything.

The next time, she had been sitting in the chair next to the bed. Morpheus wanted Neo under twenty-four-hour care and she had taken the bulk of the shifts with only a bit of hazing from her colleagues. She had been reading between taking and recording his vitals every fifteen minutes and he had spoken before she even knew he was awake.

"What’re you reading?" His voice was scratchy from lack of use.

Her eyes shot up. Neo had turned his head to the side and was watching her under lidded eyes. Still pale but looking better with every passing hour.

"The Silmarillion."

Neo chuckled. "That's my girl."

She turned the corner of a page and closed it, ignoring the warmth that spread at his adoration. "How are you feeling?"

He closed his eyes. "Hazy, numb. Scared."

"You're safe here, Neo. Nothing is going to hurt you here."

"I know that." Neo swallowed, blinking up and looking at her like she held all the answers. She wasn’t sure how to tell him that she didn’t. "But what if I wake up tomorrow in my bed?"

"You won't."

"But if I do?"

"Then I'll find you," she said harshly, shocking herself with the conviction in her words.

That seemed to pacify him, and Neo exhaled. He was starting to drift back toward unconsciousness.

"Love you, Trin," and he was asleep again, leaving her alone with her heart pounding.

She had felt that spread to her very core.

 _"You were built for great things, Trinity," t_ he Oracle had told her, so many years ago. _"I know you doubt yourself, but you won't always. Your capacity for love is unlike any I've ever seen in the course of my long life. It will take years, but you will find the One to match it."_

Even in the way the Oracle had said it, the words, even the concept of the One made her feel a little too warm.

_"I'm not looking for love."_

_"But love is looking for you. And it will find you. You see, the man that you love is going to be special. And while the world will need him, he is going to need you._

_"Without you, he'll do his darndest to try but he will fail. But with you at his side, that man will become the One."_

_"I'm going to fall for the One?" she had breathed._

_"Head over heels. Through and through. Balls to bone. You will find him and save him. And he will save you."_

How could he love her already? she wondered, desperately trying to focus back on her book. They didn't even know each other. He had only met her in dreams.

That wasn't enough for love, right?

* * *

Dozer had been there again the next time, moving the needles along with Trinity.

He looked around and didn't see her, standing at his legs to stimulate his thigh muscles.

"Trinity?" he said, a hint of panic to his tone.

"I'm here." She set down the needle and moved closer to the head of the table, walking into his line of sight. He relaxed, holding her gaze.

"What're you doing?"

"Your muscles have atrophied. We're rebuilding them," Dozer explained.

Neo managed to lift his head a little. "Oh. Hey, Dozer."

The medic raised an eyebrow, but chose not to comment. "Neo. How are you feeling?"

"I… everything. Why can I feel everything?"

"Your body is adjusting to being awake," Trinity said. "It can be a little overwhelming."

He nodded, closing his eyes in discomfort.

She placed a hand on his forehead, and he steadied his breathing.

"Sleep, Neo."

The days all seemed to blur together as they waited for Neo to regain his strength, but finally, Dozer had determined they had done all they could do.

Together with the medic and Morpheus, they had removed the long needles and cleaned him up. Dozer had dressed Neo while Morpheus and Trinity talked quietly.

"This time tomorrow, he should be awake enough to talk, if nothing else."

Trinity couldn't decide if it frightened her or excited her. She said nothing, though, listening as Morpheus made predictions about how Neo would react, given his knowledge.

"You should get some rest," Morpheus finally said to her. "You've barely slept."

Her lips twitched. "I've done more on less."

"There's no reason to work yourself to exhaustion. Go sleep. I'll stay with Neo tonight."

* * *

Trinity woke up to a crash. Morpheus was shouting and footsteps banged down the hall.

She sat up, blinking as another crash echoed off the walls. She slipped on her boots and left her quarters in time to hear Morpheus shout, "Get Trinity up, now!"

She took off at a run towards the medbay. Mouse almost crashed into her as they crossed paths but Trinity continued.

When she arrived, Neo was up and restrained between Morpheus and Dozer. He was putting up quite a fight for a fresh poddie between the two biggest people on the ship. Apoc was in the corner, readying a syringe while Switch was trying to shut down the alarms from the monitors that he had yanked from his body.

"Neo!" Trinity called loudly, making Neo stop his thrashing. She moved in front of him and put her hands on his face, forcing him to look at her. "Neo! You’re safe, Neo."

Neo’s breathing was ragged, his face flushed and eyes wild.

She looked at Morpheus and gave a nod. Morpheus and Dozer released Neo and he swung his arms around her, pulling her close to him.

He was shaking around her, gasping for breath. "I’m… I’m sorry," he said, "you weren’t here and I-- I’m sorry."

"It’s all right," she assured him, rubbing a hand on his back soothingly. She could feel his heart still racing. That wasn’t good for someone freshly unplugged. "But I need you to get a hold of your breathing. Can you breathe with me?"

Trinity leaned back just enough that he could see the rise and fall of each breath. She slowed her own breathing, emphasizing each intake and exhale. He followed her example and Trinity could feel him coming back down.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, so no one else could hear. Neo nodded and Trinity glanced back to Dozer. "Is he okay to eat something?"

Dozer nodded. "Yeah, he should be fine."

She looked over to Morpheus. "I’ll feed him then bring him to the console. Is thirty minutes all right?"

Morpheus nodded, a touch of hesitance in his gaze. It was obvious that he did not want to let Neo go off but acquiesced. Neo _needed_ to step away. She could see it in his eyes. He was overwhelmed.

They had unplugged a man who was nearly thirty. He had spent too long in the Matrix to come out unscathed and with his dreams… Neo was a wildcard to say the least.

Trinity took him by the hand and led him off to the kitchen. He looked around as they walked. "We’re on the Neb," he recognized before thoughtfully asking, "how did we get from the hotel to the Neb?"

"The answers are coming," she told him, "soon."

He nodded and reached to open the door to the kitchen before she had even slowed down. She stepped in, dropping his hand so she could go fill up two bowls. Silently, Neo followed and took out two mugs from the correct cabinet. He hadn’t even paused to think.

It was less memory, she deduced, but _habit_.

She tried not to watch as he flawlessly made them each a cup of tea. He knew where everything was, his hand was practiced like he had done it before, even going as far as to add a splash of cold water to hers, just as she always did.

Fuck. She swallowed, her own heart pounding furiously. Trin forced herself to look away, concentrating on her own task.

Grabbing two spoons, she led him to the table.

Neo swung one leg over the bench, intent on watching her. His scrutiny made her shiver.

"You know who I am," he said carefully, thoughtfully. Like he was piecing together a puzzle. "But you don’t know me. Not the way I know you."

"What gave it away?" she replied, picking up the mug to hide behind.

Neo smirked. "Glad to know your sarcasm hasn’t diminished in this world."

"I’m as snarky as ever."

"I see it, in your eyes," Neo said. "You don’t look at me like I’m someone you know but you’ve taken care of me regardless."

"There are… shadows of you," she murmured, unable to look at him even while he was unable to look away from her. "Ghosts of memories that I can’t see, even when I try. I don’t know you the way you know me. But I would be lying if I said that you weren’t familiar to me."

"And what do you see? When you look at me?"

 _Mine_. Possession, obsession. Adoration, temptation, desire. Chemicals in her body reached massive imbalances until he was the only thought on her mind, overwhelming her senses and telling her what Morpheus wanted to hear the night he had spoken to her about what she knew. Neo was the One.

But he was hers and that thought made her stomach roll with fear but also excitement. She wasn’t sure she was ready to label her feelings as _love_ quite yet but there seemed to be no other word that fit what she was experiencing.

For fifteen years, she had waited for him. Terrified, uncertain. The Oracle had left her with a few answers and a thousand more questions. And Trinity had kept that to herself for so long, carrying the burden of knowledge within her heart.

And now he was _here_. In front of her. Irrevocably real.

Trinity turned towards him, letting her hand rise up and cup the back of his head and pull it down towards her.

His lips touched hers and she shuddered.

 _This was real_ , she acknowledged. This wasn’t Neo kissing her in the Matrix which, as good and wonderful as it had felt, had lacked something visceral.

Neo wrapped his arms around her and groaned into the kiss as her teeth pulled at his lower lip. He deepened the kiss, tugging her closer. His hands were moving, touching and memorizing this Trinity. The real Trinity.

Her words from earlier rang true. The Trinity of his dreams had been beautiful and loving and oh so brilliant, but he was a fool if he thought she was any more than a _shadow_ of the real thing. Trinity turned more, bending her leg beneath her so as to face him on the bench. Her other hand wrapped around his back.

This was familiar, but whether it was from some long-forgotten memory or a simple primal instinct she was unsure. At that moment, she didn’t care.

She had waited so fucking long after the Oracle had shared her part in the war. Waited long enough for her to begin to wonder if it was possible for the Oracle to make a mistake. But he was there, in front of her. Warm and gentle and real.

They pulled apart, resting their foreheads together as they each caught their breaths. Neo didn’t loosen his grip on her. Instead he held her tighter as if he was afraid she might pull away.

"You're mine," she said. "I see someone who is mine; to protect, to cherish, to…"

He kissed her in her hesitance, and she was grateful to put off saying what thought echoed in her mind.

"You already know where I stand," Neo said as they parted. "You're my everything."

Trinity nearly shivered at his words. Too overwhelmed by it all to reply, she kissed him again. Just to feel him once more.

Years of worrying, of sheer terror at what finding the One would mean disappeared. The thoughts that kept her up at night seemed trivial.

_How had she lived without this?_

"Swear to me," Neo whispered, almost begging as he set his forehead to hers, "swear to me I'm not going to wake up back at my apartment."

"I swear it. You're not going anywhere."

"I don't understand it. But I don't care as long as you're here."

"You'll understand it soon." She forced herself to sit back up. "Eat, and I'll take you to Morpheus. He'll explain everything."

He reached over and caught her chin. "I can think of a few things I'd rather do." Neo leaned down and kissed her.

Trin smiled against his lips, letting herself take just a few more moments of selfishness before what she could only imagine would be a trying day.

"Well, I stand fucking corrected," Apoc called loudly, causing the couple to break apart in surprise.

"Are you serious?" Trinity heard Switch scream back. Footsteps echoed down the hall and Switch's blond head poked into the room.

"I'm not dealing with this," Apoc said, shaking his head as he turned to walk away. "Above my pay grade. They're all yours."

"Yes!" Switch punched the air, bouncing into the kitchen and taking a seat across from them.

"Hello, my name is Switch and I will be your chaperone for this evening."

"No," said Trinity.

"Oh, yeah. Orders of Morpheus. He wants you two to make it out of dinner with clothes still on."

"Clothes are still on!"

"And I'm here to make sure that's where they stay." Switch looked too goddamn smug. "Now turn around. We got stuff to do."

Trinity rolled her eyes as she moved to face forward at the table and eat the food in front of her. Neo grimaced but followed suit, muttering, "Every damn time."

Switch grinned. "Jeez, boy. How many of your dreams were just sexy times?"

Trinity stopped, spoon halfway to her mouth. She cocked her head and looked at Neo, whose eyes were wide as he looked between her and Switch. The unasked question: _am I allowed to answer that?_

At her curious brow, he relented. "Uh… well, um. More than half? Maybe sixty percent?"

"And the other dreams?"

"Uh, maybe closer to eighty percent. The rest of the dreams… there are a couple that we’re together, dressed in black and carrying guns. There’s one that takes place in a dojo. There’s a couple where men in suits are after us and, for some reason, we’re trying to find a phone…? I’m sorry—everything is still a little hazy."

Trinity and Switch looked at each other.

"Agents?"

"You know any other men in suits after us?"

"Christ. I’m assuming the dojo is _our_ dojo."

"It would have to be." Trinity ran a hand through her hair. "I don’t even know where to start with all of this."

"The dreams?" Switch asked, looking at Neo. "They all have Trinity?"

Neo’s eyes skirted to Trinity and back to Switch. "Yeah."

Trinity concentrated on her dinner as her head reeled. Zion, the Matrix, the Neb, the Dojo… every place possible, he had dreamed of her. She wasn’t sure what to make of it other than another confirmation that the One was indeed sitting next to her. Inches away. She could still taste him on her lips and, damn it, if Switch wasn’t there, she would be tasting _him_.

"And the rest of us? How often do we appear?"

Neo shrugged. "Half the time? Maybe. I don’t know, it’s not like I’ve graphed it or anything. Out of everyone, Morpheus and Tank probably make the most appearances. Then you and Apoc. Dozer. I know Mouse and Cypher but they’re a rarer sight. We—I usually only see them when everyone is congregated together. Then, there’s this other guy, Link… he’s on the Neb sometimes but sometimes he isn’t."

"Link?" said Switch. "I don’t think I know a Link."

"I do." Trinity paused in her supper. "You know Dozer and Tank’s sister? Zee?"

"Vaguely. I could pick her out of a lineup, but I don’t think I’ve ever said more than a few words to her."

"Her husband’s name is Link. He’s an operator on the Babylon. Has been for almost a year now." She looked at Neo. "You’re sure he’s here? Not in Zion?"

Neo nodded. "Positive."

"Something to look into," said Switch. "Neo, eat up. Believe me when I say you’ll need your strength later on."

* * *

"This is the world you know. The world as it was at the end of the Twentieth Century. It exists now only as part of a neural interactive simulation that we call the Matrix. You have been living inside a dream world, Neo. This is the world that exists today. Welcome... to the desert of the real. We have only bits and pieces of information but what we know for certain is that at some point in the early twenty-first century all of mankind was united in celebration. We marveled at our own magnificence as we gave birth to AI."

"Artificial intelligence," Neo said with a nod.

"Correct. A singular consciousness that spawned an entire race of machines. We don’t know who struck first, us or them. But we know that it was us that scorched the sky. At the time they were dependent on solar power and it was believed that they would be unable to survive without an energy source as abundant as the sun. Throughout human history, we have been dependent on machines to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony. 

"The human body generates more bio-electricity than a 120-volt battery and over 25,000 BTUs of body heat. Combined with a form of fusion, the machines have found all the energy they would ever need. There are fields, endless fields, where human beings are no longer born. We are grown. For the longest time I wouldn’t believe it, and then I saw the fields with my own eyes. Watch them liquefy the dead so they could be fed intravenously to the living. And standing there, facing the pure horrifying precision, I came to realize the obviousness of the truth.

"What is the Matrix? Control. The Matrix is a computer-generated dream world built to keep us under control in order to change a human being into this." He held up a battery.

Neo exhaled.

It was bad but… it made sense. A piece of understanding that had been missing from the dreams. He knew the difference between the Neb, the Matrix, and Zion but he had never been able to name the differences nor was he able to understand why some dreams were here and others were there.

His dreams followed Trinity and Trinity existed on the Neb, in Zion, and in the Matrix. 

"Okay. I understand the concepts," he said, finally, vaguely aware that Morpheus was watching him as he took in the new information. "But why have I been able to see into both worlds? You're all too in awe for that to be a common occurrence."

"I believe," said Morpheus, "that you are special. There was a man born inside the Matrix with the power to change things at will. To remake the Matrix as he saw fit. It was he who freed the first of us, taught us the truth… as long as the Matrix exists the human race will never be free.

"After he died, the Oracle prophesied his return," Morpheus continued, "and that his coming would hail the destruction of the Matrix, end the war, bring freedom to our people. That is why there are those of us who have spent our entire lives searching the Matrix for him. I suspected it was you before I knew about your… unique dreams. Now, I am certain.

"You are the One, Neo."

The One. Trinity had called him that before, in his dreams. He remembered Lock using the term in an almost derogatory fashion. The Council referring to him as such with reverence. But it had always been abstract in his mind; a title he didn’t fully recognize or understand.

He knew… he knew that he was supposed to destroy the Matrix somewhere in his head, but it hadn’t made sense until this moment.

Neo closed his eyes as he tried to make sense of it all. When they opened, he was in the real world, in the same chair he had sat down in twenty minutes before. 

Trinity was next to him, unplugging the jack from the head. He twitched and waited as Dozer undid his feet from the stirrups. 

"How are you feeling?" Trinity asked.

Neo blinked. "It makes sense. Like, everything is clicking into place. Things I’ve tried to figure out for years, just…"

He trailed off. Years of dreams that he knew intimately but could never understand. Trinity, sometimes among steel, sometimes surrounded by warm rock, and other times totally lost in the Matrix. It fit together; the pieces of the puzzle that were lost just dropped into place. 

"It may take some time to get used to," Morpheus said, standing from his own seat. "You’ve taken in a lot of information in a short period of time."

Neo huffed a laugh at the understatement. His head shot up and he looked at Trinity. "The dojo!"

"The dojo?" she repeated, eyeing him curiously.

"It's in the construct, isn't it? That's why I can’t remember ever going to or leaving it."

"You've had dreams of the construct?" Morpheus asked.

"The dojo, at least. I'm not sure about anything else."

"Tank, load the dojo."

"What are you doing?" Trinity asked her captain as he moved back to his seat.

"I want to try something."

"Morpheus," Her tone offered a warning.

"It will be fine, Trinity."

She looked to Neo, who shrugged. Trin bit her lip as Dozer prepared to plug Neo back in.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, he was in the dojo. The warm, not quite pajamas he was familiar with were on him. Morpheus stood before him, dressed similarly.

"You're familiar with this? You've sparred here?"

Neo nodded. "Yes, but only with Trinity."

"We all have the same training," said Morpheus. "I want to see how much you know already. It's possible that you are a blank slate but I would like to know for sure. I want you to hit me. If you can?"

"Are you serious?"

"Quite."

"You actually want me to hit you?"

"Yes.’

Neo shifted uncomfortably. "I’m not sure I'm comfortable with that. Like, you're just standing there and—"

He was cut off by Morpheus lunging forward, arms waving.

Neo reacted, side stepping out of the way, countering Morpheus by swinging his own to cut off Morpheus's momentum. He was aware of his body moving, could feel every step and gesture as he blocked each incoming attack.

_It had been a dream, but now…_

Neo jumped in the air, flipping back to avoid the kick Morpheus had aimed at him. He landed, the psuedo-ground cushioning his feet. 

His body, his mind, some part of him remembered these motions. These movements were familiar, as were Morpheus’.

_Hit me. If you can._

Neo blocked all of Morpheus’ incoming assaults, each movement seeming slower than the last until a space opened for Neo to slam his fist forward.

And Morpheus was flying backwards, crashing through a support beam and into the wall behind it, leaving a giant dent in the wall.

Neo winced. "Oh shit."

Morpheus laughed, jumping to his feet. "Good. Again."

Neo bounced on his feet assuming a defensive position as Morpheus moved closer. He made the first assault, swinging a punch that Morpheus dodged, rolling to the ground and coming up behind Neo. Neo waited, not turning, for the motion behind him. He leaned to the side, letting Morpheus’ hand shoot by his head.

Neo grabbed Morpheus’ forearm and use the momentum to pull the larger man forward and up over his shoulder. Morpheus hit the floor hard.

"Your speed is abnormal," Morpheus commented, rising to his feet. "Your moves seem to be limited to the eastern arts; however, your defensive skill is impressive. Again."

Neo lunged forwards, missing Morpheus by inches. He leaned back to avoid a hit to the face and swung back up. Arms flew, crossing each other as they both successfully avoided direct hits from the other.

The atmosphere around him changed. He could feel the code around him, pushing and making space for another. He spared a glance to the side, never pausing in his assault. Trinity stood on the side of the dojo, sufficiently out of the way. Her arms were crossed, and her face was blank. That was never a good sign.

He moved forward, pushing Morpheus back. Morpheus began to move slower and Neo wondered idly if Morpheus was letting him win. As space opened, Neo placed a kick squarely to the chest, sending Morpheus across the room, yet again.

"Enough!" Trinity walked towards the center of the dojo. "Morpheus, he's been on his feet less than an hour. Let's not overwhelm him."

"He knows the basics of combat training, Trinity. And his speed—"

"—Is very impressive but this can wait. He just learned what the Matrix is, we can slow down on the rest. And regardless of what he knows, he needs to run the training programs before this continues." 

"One more thing," Morpheus said, "before we go."

"He’s beat you three times," Trinity argued, looking then to Neo. "The gaps in your knowledge are being made up for by speed, but that’s not enough."

"Tank, load the jump program." Morpheus looked to Trinity, noting the look of disapproval on her face. "The last thing," Morpheus promised, "and then we can gauge if Neo is up to anything else for the day."

Trinity gave a single nod and the program around them changed until they were in a replica of Capitol City, standing hundreds of feet in the air on top of a skyscraper. 

His clothes had changed. Gone were the pale pajamas he had worn in the dojo. Instead, he was in a black button down and slacks, with a black jacket, not nearly as long as Morpheus’ coat. 

Trinity’s dojo-wear had morphed into tight leather pants and a skintight tank top. He was more than familiar with the outfit having peeled it from her body before.

"In the construct, like in the Matrix, there are still the same basic rules," Morpheus’ voice broke into Neo’s thoughts. "What you must learn is that some of them can be bent. Others can be broken."

Neo nodded, looking around at the city he once called home.

"You have to let it all go, Neo. Fear, doubt, and disbelief."

Morpheus turned and took off running. As the edge of the building approached Morpheus jumped, tens of feet, into the air, soaring between the buildings before slamming, feet first, into the next skyscraper with a sickening crunch.

Trinity looked at Neo. "If you don't want to do this right now, say the word."

Neo nodded, staring over the gap. "I-I can do it."

"I know you can," she said; it wasn't an assurance so much as agreement. "As long as this is by your choice." 

"Wait." Neo caught her hand in his. He turned, bending his head enough for a small kiss. A gentle brush of his lips to hers.

For luck, he told himself as Trinity opened her eyes.

She gave him a small smile. "I'll see you on the other side."

She followed Morpheus, jumping off the building with a quiet grace. She crossed the gap in a careful arc before landing on her feet. The concrete floor thudded at her landing but broke little more from what Morpheus had already done. 

Trinity turned when she had righted herself. From across the buildings, he could still see her soft smile. She gave a nod and Neo nodded back.

The distance between them was great. Too much. It just wouldn't do.

"Okay," he murmured to himself. Neo took off at a run and jumped.


End file.
